W.F.H.

Rules & Regs When Working From Home.

The Covid-19 protocols to combat the virus have more than ever resulted in people working from home (WFH). Many of my friends and associates, due to their position or location of their home office, have worked from home for many years. The issue is the millions of workers who are programmed to endure their commute, feel comfortable in their office, and have long adapted to their office culture, are now working from home. Now that most employers have directed their employees to work from home, all of us have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly resulting from the WFH mandate. The dynamics of working for home for many have dictated an “at-home” work space – one that appropriately deals with everything you do day in and day out. The reality, especially with children home due to school closings, does not always lead to productive parts of your day:

Many executives, sociologists, psychiatrists, and pundits have offered up too much information surrounding ‘how to work from home’. The following ten suggestions, some of them obvious, were offered up by some forward-thinking person at one of the country’s largest insurance providers. I have also offered up my take on each of these:

1. Have a separate work space. Don’t create an office in your bedroom, because that will look bad on video calls. What is ‘bad’ these days? With everything that is going on do we really care if we see an unmade bed, clothes spilling out of empty drawers, or a view into the bathroom because the door was left open? 🙂

2. Put in a door. And shut it. If you’re living with other people, you need to be able to shut them out of your professional life. Another ludicrous suggestion – put in a door where? In your kitchen? Or in the living room? Since suggestion #1 was to avoid your bedroom – just put in a door somewhere. Moronic.

3. Shower. Just take a shower. Every day. Same time. It really does have a psychological impact. A ‘psychological’ impact? How about just saying the impact of maintaining law and order with your hygiene in general!!

4. Eat lunch out.  No, not happening unless you live in Belarus, one country that still allows thousands of fans to gather to watch their national soccer league.

5. Do not keep files. If you want to pave a quick road toward divorce, then be sure to have lots of papers, files, and folders lying around. That’ll do it. With the virus killing thousands of people this suggestion correlates work files to divorce. You can’t fix stupid.

6. Do other stuff while talking on the phone.  Sure, while you are on the phone with a client, load your dishwasher, hit start on the microwave, and vacuum. When multi-tasking while on the phone – you might want to close the video portion of your Zoom video call at certain times:

7. Get rid of the baby and the dog.  Because DFCS and the Humane Society don’t have enough to do?

8. Never, ever turn on the TV.  Never is a bit harsh. I agree that having the TV on while working can be irritating but never is going a bit too far. A replay of Two and a Half Men and Modern Family is a productive hour.

9. Invest in lighting. I set the mood with lighting depending on the time of day, the weather…even the season. If you have time to adjust the lighting in your home office based on the time of day or weather you need to find another job.

10. Nap. Go ahead. You earned it. No one’s going to know. It is obvious that the person from this insurance company who wrote these work at home suggestions has pictures of the CEO in tenuous situations – otherwise they would be fired. Take a nap – at home, while you are working from home. No, and No!

Adios, pay it forward, stay safe, and have a nice Sunday!